---
title: AI Agents. What they REALLY are, and what they do
description: Discover the true nature of AI Agents, their impact on business productivity, and how to distinguish them from mere automation.
---

[Blog | Ten Past Tomorrow ](https://www.tenpasttomorrow.com/blog)

# [AI Agents. What they REALLY are, and what they do](https://www.tenpasttomorrow.com/blog/ai-agents-what-they-really-are-and-what-they-do)

 Written by [Mark Laurence](https://www.tenpasttomorrow.com/blog/author/mark-laurence) | Aug 7, 2025 11:22:22 PM

In this week's video essay, I break down the chaos, confusing definitions, and general hype around AI agents, and offer a clear, practical definition of what they *really* are... not just automation with a fancy AI hat, but actual autonomous software that can plan, act, and learn without your micromanagement.

Agents are already starting to reshape how businesses approach productivity, delegation, and digital transformation; but only if we understand what they actually are (and are not).

You’ll learn:

- How the term 'AI Agent' has been corrupted
- What makes a *true* agent different from traditional SaaS automation
- What ChatGPT Agent can actually do right now (with real-world examples)
- The serious security and policy implications of AI Agents that leaders *need* to know
- How to start using them wisely inside your organisation

Agents are already being quietly deployed and adopted by first movers. But so are their clever lookalikes being hocked by snake oil salesmen. By the end of this video, you'll be able to spot the real thing from the marketing spin.

<https://www.tenpasttomorrow.com/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLLg1Doy%2FoiZQ5%2BNcjGcpaOPWZbxZ4k%2BY9gSDLsN%2FOcWvP0%2BSUjEoyeoPITBYfKvwxyDnxi%2BBWmvey%2BLJ2xcfLJq6PGK7GExcerPUNA0sIMHTtFjTAZSzgB%2F3nkYM1xYlKB1cXRRekqEUP%2F11G7urS0ZbEN%2BpK35hJKWLn%2BOHh0FY%2FF0pI3JKNLO4B8IzoJHpzLbX4lCl0FC1PmKMUKzM1UxJxN6theYFb%2FqZ%2Fn6%2FMgEAYzFZArtpW%2Bi67c9&webInteractiveContentId=187933300631&portalId=24274166>

[View full post](https://www.tenpasttomorrow.com/blog/ai-agents-what-they-really-are-and-what-they-do)

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Mark Laurence"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2025-08-07T23:23:15.093Z",
  "datePublished" : "2025-08-07T23:22:22Z",
  "headline" : "AI Agents. What they REALLY are, and what they do",
  "image" : {
    "@type" : "ImageObject",
    "height" : 816,
    "url" : "https://24274166.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/24274166/AI%20Agents%20-%20What%20they%20REALLY%20are%2c%20and%20what%20they%20do.png",
    "width" : 1456
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://www.tenpasttomorrow.com/blog/ai-agents-what-they-really-are-and-what-they-do",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "height" : 60,
      "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png",
      "width" : 60
    },
    "name" : "Blog"
  }
}
```